Buhari did not bribe Justice Ademola – Presidency

The Special Assistant to the President Mohammadu Buhari on anti-corruption, Chief Okoi Obono- Obla said the president was not behind a N.5m gift to Justice Adeniyi Ademola who is currently facing corruption charges.
Obla stated this yesterday in reaction to reports that one of the President’s lawyers - Kola Awodein (SAN) gave N.5m gift to Ademola during certificate suit against the president in a pre-election case during the 2015 election.
Obla said that as a lawyer, Awodein has many clients at that particular time with cases before Ademola , adding that President Buhari never gave any bribe through the lawyer.
Also in a statement yesterday, Awodein admitted that he gave the said N.5million gift to Ademola during the wedding of the judge’s daughter saying “It’s a fact that the sum of money mentioned was personally paid by me as a friend to Mr. Justice Ademola as a personal gift, as our custom well recognizes and demands, on the occasion of his daughter’s High Society wedding solemnised at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, on the 9th of May 2015, which I attended in person.
“I was fully convinced then, as I remain today, that I could do no less as a friend of long-standing to fairly reasonably support him on that memorable occasion of his daughter’s wedding.”
The statement released to State House correspondents by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina also said “I would conclude by stating categorically and without any equivocation that ANY link whatsoever with Mr. President, or any court case or cases, of my personal gift from my personal resources delivered to Justice Niyi Ademola by myself on that occasion or any suggestion whatsoever that it was anything but such a gift or that it ever came from Mr. President or at his instance or that I was acting, under any circumstances, on his behalf is most malicious, utterly ridiculous and in very poor and revolting taste and most undeserving of any further comments.”